PhD Position – Water bankruptcy and continental trade-offs: rethinking Africa’s energy transition under climate change
Hydrological Sciences (HS)
We invite applications for a fully funded PhD position at Politecnico di Milano within the “Science in Policy” programme, jointly offered by:
- PhD in Science, Technology and Policy for Sustainable Change (STEP-CHANGE)
- PhD in Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering (IAI)
Project overview
This PhD project investigates how competition for water between energy and food systems may shape Africa’s energy transition under climate change.
As declining costs of renewables reduce the attractiveness of hydropower, and climate change alters water availability, increasing pressure emerges between electricity generation and agricultural production.
The project introduces the concept of water bankruptcy, a framework for allocating water when demand exceeds supply, to analyze these trade-offs at the continental scale. The candidate will develop an integrated modelling framework combining energy systems, hydrology, and agriculture to explore how different water governance strategies affect:
- energy system expansion
- irrigation dynamics and food security
- water stress and GHG emissions
- cross-sectoral trade-offs and equity
The research builds on an established collaboration with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and Prof. Kaveh Madani, offering strong connections to international policy processes. A visiting period at UNU-INWEH is planned during the PhD, providing direct exposure to international policy-oriented research and stakeholders.
Candidate profile
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:
- MSc in engineering, environmental sciences, physics, applied mathematics, or related fields
- Strong quantitative and modelling skills
- Interest in climate change, resource systems, and sustainability
- Strong programming skills (Python, MATLAB, C++)
- Proficiency in English and strong communication skills
Research environment
The PhD will be carried out at Politecnico di Milano under the supervision of:
- Prof. Andrea Castelletti (EI-Lab)
- Prof. Maria Cristina Rulli (glob3science)
Applications must include a CV, list of publications, a motivation letter, the names of two referees and must be submitted HERE.